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Write & Shine
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Spring Season



Join us for a series of inspiring writing events this spring

From March to May, we’ll host workshops, retreats and events taking inspiration from the light and colour of springtime. We’ll explore the sky too, with workshops on clouds and birds, the moon and planets, and the delights we find when we remember to look up.

Muse

Monday 21 March (7.30-8.30pm) & Tuesday 22 March (7.15-9am)

An event of two halves! A relaxing evening gathering followed by a gentle morning workshop. We’ll consider the Muses of Ancient Greek myths who symbolised creativity in all forms, as well as literary muses and the art they inspired. We’ll muse on our own sources of inspiration and guidance. Join us to open the door to your creative ideas this spring.
Book here

Rooftop

Thursday 24 March (7.15-9am)

We’ll take inspiration from rooftops and skylines, and the experience of looking out at an unsuspecting world. So many artworks, books and films have iconic rooftop scenes, and we’ll use a selection of rooftops to prompt new writing. Carol King’s ‘Up on the Roof’ was released 60 years ago this year, so we’ll weave the song into the session, too.
Book here

Woodpecker

Tuesday 29 March (7.15-9am)

The first of our three morning workshops celebrating birds this spring. Woodpeckers drum to make nests, to communicate and mark their territory. Instead of a song, they excavate holes in trees. In this session, we’ll enter the woodpecker’s world and write in response to the habits, colour and rhythm of these birds.
Book here

Balloons

Thursday 31 March (7.15-9am)

Our season is about the delights we find in the sky, so this session will lift us up above our heads. We’ll use poetry, fiction and photography to inspire our writing about adventures in hot air balloons, decorating with balloons, releasing sky lanterns and the serenity of flying kites.
Book here

Mars

Tuesday 5 April (7.15-9am)

Mars becomes increasingly visible in the morning sky from April. It’ll grow steadily bigger and brighter this month, often seen alongside Jupiter. This workshop will use the glowing, red planet as writing inspiration, considering its canyons and volcanoes and the stories told about its inhabitants.
Book here

Writing Retreat I

Thursday 7 April (7.15-9.30am)

Bring your work in progress or some ideas to explore and write together in the morning light – in the company of a friendly group of writers. You’ll be surprised at how much you can do in a couple of hours!

Book here

Cuckoo

Thursday 14 April (7.15-9am)

“Cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo!” This is the second of our morning workshops celebrating birds. It’s said that the first cuckoo call heralds the arrival of spring, bringing hope, sunlight and abundance. We’ll write with inspiration from the cuckoo: their habit of laying eggs in other nests, the superstitions associated with them, and the distinctive sound they make, too.
Book here

Look Up!

Tuesday 26 April (7.15-9am)

Things are looking up! Join guest tutor, Philip Cowell, to explore this under-appreciated means of sensory investigation: the lifted gaze. There’s so much to be looked up at: birds, clouds, skyscrapers, aeroplanes, stars, fears, dreams! We’ll be inspired by the joy, the wonder, the complexity of this curious kind of seeing.
Book here

Blue Tit

Thursday 28 April (7.15-9am)

Mark upcoming Dawn Chorus Day (1 May) with a morning workshop on blue tits, the last in this season’s workshop series celebrating birds. Hopping about in woodlands, hedgerows, parks and bird tables, blue tits are one of our loveliest garden birds. We’ll write about small birds, birdsong and the colours of spring.
Book here

Clouds

Tuesday 3 May (7.15-9am)

A writing workshop exploring clouds and the ways they have always captured the imagination of artists. We’ll read poems and stories about clouds, and imagine ourselves floating through the sky on clouds, too. This session also marks the anniversary of Joni Mitchell’s wonderful album, ‘Clouds,’ released this month in 1969.
Book here

Water

Thursday 5 May (7.15-9am)

Water inhabits many forms, much like creation itself. Join author Chioma Okereke for a workshop considering water in all its glory, with particular attention to the springtime; synonymous with new beginnings, transformation and blossoming. Chioma will also share her creative process when writing her latest novel ‘Water Baby’
Book here

Writing Retreat II

Tuesday 10 May (7.15-9.30am)

Another chance to bring your work in progress and write in the early morning light. This writing retreat will conclude with a chat about our creative challenges and successes this spring.

Book here

Lunar

Thursday 12 May (7.15-9am)

A total lunar eclipse occurs during the early hours of 16 May. The moon will be obscured by the earth’s shadow and have a dark, reddish hue. We’ll use this as inspiration for new poems, stories and essays about the moon, the power it holds over us and its haunting luminosity.
Book here

Among Flowers

Tuesday 17 May (7.15-9am)

Antiguan-American author Jamaica Kincaid’s ‘Among Flowers’ charts her botanical expedition in the Himalayas. Kincaid, born this month, writes with glorious lyricism about flowers, gardens and exploring the outdoors. In this workshop, we’ll use her writing to inspire our own.
Book here

Flight

Thursday 19 May (7.15-9am)

“The lure of flying is the lure of beauty,” said Amelia Earhart. For the 90th anniversary of her first solo flight, we’ll host a workshop considering soaring above the clouds in a plane. We’ll write about our own experiences of flying and look at authors who capture the sensations of journeying through the sky.
Book here